Chenille by the Inch Buttlerflies

Here are the step-by-step photos of how the chenille by the inch works. I got a picture from the Internet and blew it up to the size i wanted to fit a 6" finished square. Then I traced it onto tear away stabilizer, which I pinned to the square of background fabric.






I back tacked the end down and just followed the lines, starting a new strip by back tacking onto the end of the old. Back tack the end and the line is done. After you have all the lines down, spritz with a little distilled water to dampen and use the chenille brush to fluff it. Note: It will fluff more after washing it. It was relatively easy. the fluffing part was not as easy as the manufacturer made it sound but it wasn't all that hard. Just takes a good arm. It works best if you brush in the opposite direction from the center stitch line. We are using it to make a baby blanket for my daughter Jenna's soon-to-arrive baby.

A link to learn more about the product. Click here

Cons: They sell you a book to tell you how to do and give you some lame designs. Don't buy it you don't need it and it doesn't tell you what stitch length to use. That seems like pretty basic information to give in a instruction book. All machines are different so just use a really close stitch or it will lose to many threads during the fluffing process. Don't buy the ruler it's not necessary. It has a line than you line up with the center stitching to help cut apart the strips. but they put lettering right next to it that interfere with your sight line. Don't waste your money. Your standard rotary cutting ruler will work fine.

Pros: It is what is says it is. There is no waste. If you like to look of chenille, its a good product.

Best Sandwich in Salt Lake City

I went out to dinner last night with some friends, John Houser and Belle Wilcox. We like to try something different every month. John suggested somewhere he had seen a sign for, Little Dave's Deli. Located at 41 west 3300 south in Salt Lake City, Utah, Little Dave's has a marvelous selection of hot and cold sandwiches. The specialty sandwich though is the Philly Cheese Steak. This was the best sandwich I have ever had in all my traveling. Tender loose meat with thinly sliced onions, bell peppers and mushrooms. all this held together with melted provolone cheese served a a perfect roll soft enough to soak up the juice but firm enough not to fall apart. Want a great sandwich? This is the place to go. Not to leave out everyone else. Josh had a cold turkey and salami with the works which he also says was excellent and John had the egg salad which was huge and very good also.

They have some great old time soda in bottles as well. We had Nu-Grape soda, Dad's Root Beer, Nesbitt Orange and I took home some Plantation Ginger Ale for Papa.

The only bad thing about this restaurant is that it closes at 6pm Mon-Fri and at 4 on Sat. However, The owner kept it open late for us as we waited for friend to join us. Who does that anymore? Well he won our loyalty. We plan on becoming regulars.

Final note: the Jersey Stick dessert? Frozen cheesecake on a stick just another thing you don't wanna miss (that is if you have room)

Best Bingo Prize of All

Look at this gorgeous artwork! This is a Natalie Lowry original. Done especially for me. Doesn't It look fantastic on my purple painted living room wall?

Don't you wish you were me?

Mmm Godiva Chocolate

For Mothers Day this year, my son Joshua bought me a box of Godiva chocolates. I immediately gave my mom two of them and my dad two also. Mom said to never give her Godiva chocolates , as they are just too good. So with a great suggestion from my sister Marian, I gave her this.

When she opened it there was a letter on top that said, "Dear Nana, I know you made us promise not to buy you any Godiva chocolates but it's the holdays and we hope you'll forgive us and still love us. -josh and jess"

When she opened it inside we these pictures of josh and I eating Nana's Godiva Chocolates!
I smeared chocolate all over my face for effect. Here is her reaction.

What's Christmas without Octopus?

Look my little sister, Sara, made for my Christmas tree! Christmas cephalopod for the tree. Isn't that wonderful? It sure makes me smile. My sister can knit anything. Check out here website here and see other cool things she makes.

My Wonderfully Awful Christmas Tree

It takes a certain sort of person to love this tree. My mom and I were in Wal-mart looking for lights for my daughters tree and saw this 4 ft tree on display. Mom said I simply must get this for you!. This was the display model. All the rest had sold out. I have done what i like to call the "Dr Suess Tree" last year. My sister bought me a wonderful collection of neon gren,blue, pink and a selection of purple ornaments and I hung them on my white tree (see pic on the left).

Well those ornaments look great on this purple tree. However the picture dont really do it justice. When it's lit I can't stop smiling. True it is Christmas gaudiness to the max, but I am not out to impress the world. Anything that makes me smile after a long day at work, is fine by me. And this tree is unique to me. No one in my family has one even remotely like it.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

River of Time

This beautiful quilt is made out of batik fabric. In case you have never used batik fabric. It's more closely woven to hold up under the dying process which means there is less distortion of the fabric during the cutting and sewing process. My sister Marian collected batiks for years. Recently she pulled them all out to make a quilt, I was there and she gave me some of each fabric. It was such a wonderful day (couple of days actually) spent ironing and cutting all these batiks and laughing and chatting with my sister. She had enough to give me 4 in centers and 2 1/2 inch strips of everything. She also cut squares and strips for herself and all the rectangle for the original quilt she had planned. I came back from my visit to Dallas with 2 bags of precut pieces. I separated them into two stacks. I pulled out the oranges, yellows, reds and the few browns most of the pinks and half of the purples into one stack. So I was left with all the blues, greens, limes, blacks, some pinky magentas and half of the purples to make this beauty. I had enough squares left over from this project to make a blue couch throw as well. I used the warm colors to make a throw as well. But that is another story.

Sometimes I like to look at this when I am missing my sister and think about how fun that visit was.